With a painful loss to Clemson over, Georgia can concentrate on South Carolina.

The Gamecocks are always a measuring stick for the Bulldogs. Sometimes a nightstick.

Worse, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is no dog lover — he celebrated his tenure in Gainesville, Fla., with an annual mugging of Georgia in Jacksonville, and capped the festivities with lockerroom taunts that were a little too close to the truth to be dismissed.

When Spurrier hung up his visor at Florida, Georgia fans figured they were rid of the Ol’ Ball Coach and his Fun ’n’ Gun offense that was never very much fun for the Georgia secondary. But time and fate conspired against the Bulldogs, and Spurrier surfaced again in Columbia, S.C.

Where he promptly did the impossible — he turned the Gamecocks into an SEC contender not just as good as the Tennessees and Floridas of the conference, but better.

The Fun ’n’ Gun is holstered in Columbia. Acres and acres of marvelously talented athletes aren’t flocking to South Carolina and the state has never been overburdened with the talent of a Georgia or a Texas.

But give Spurrier credit — he may not be able to get as many of the best athletes as he used to, but he gets enough of the best and he gets the best out of them.

Carolina has Jadeveon Clowney, arguably the best player in college football. Hey, Mark Richt said so. But to end the argument, let’s agree he’s certainly the best at his position. Clowney is a force at his defensive end position opposite Chaz Sutton, a former Jenkins High player, who once eyed Florida and wound up in a better position if not a better place.

Spurrier has relied on defenders like Clowney (OK, nobody is like Clowney) and an offense that can run and pass. If he couldn’t get all the pieces he wanted, he used the pieces he had to get what he wanted. And that was respect and respectability.

Next up, the SEC title.

Maybe.

If South Carolina beats Georgia, an easy schedule sets the table for a run to the title game, right? Maybe. But as good as South Carolina is and as magic as Spurrier can be, the SEC is still the SEC. Somewhere in the Vandebilts, Tennessees, Mississippi States, Floridas, Arkansas and Missouris of the world lurks a defeat. Or two.

Then, at the end of the road, is Alabama.

But first Georgia.

SEC coaches voted quarterback Aaron Murray the best quarterback in the SEC in the preseason. That may have been a dig at conference newcomer Texas A&M, who upset the hierarchy with Heisman Trophy-winning quarter Johnny Manziel. Or a dig at Manziel, who signed just about everything put in front of him except a pro contract.

Or SEC coach may simply have thought they were voting for the best passing quarterback, which is Murray, hands down.

And, for Georgia and Murray, the real season starts Saturday in Athens. Clemson was just a tuneup, a game for the TV and the fans.

Next Saturday, it’s for real.

Is Carolina the menace so many expect? ’Fraid not. As good as Clowney is, he is a defensive lineman. The control he can exert over a game is limited.

Murray is at quarterback and handles the ball on every offensive play. The control he can exert is almost unlimited.